Duke of Edinburgh undergoes successful surgery on his heart
Longest-ever stay in hospital for 99-year-old prince
THE Duke of Edinburgh has undergone successful heart surgery just three months before his 100th birthday.
Buckingham Palace said Philip had the op for a pre-existing condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London on Wednesday.
The 99-year-old will remain in hospital for “treatment, rest and recuperation” for a number of days. Concern will be heightened for the duke because of his advanced age, with the Duchess of Cornwall saying on Wednesday he was “slightly improving”.
The news was announced amid growing tensions within the royal family ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s controversial televised Oprah interview, with Meghan saying in an extract that she could not be expected to stay silent if ‘The Firm’ played a part in “perpetuating falsehoods”.
The Sussexes have faced calls for the broadcast on Sunday to be postponed out of respect for Philip. But a source close to the couple said that American network CBS is not believed to have any intention of changing the date.
“There are a lot of people who are going to talk about this until the programme airs, but the programming and all the rest of it is ultimately up to CBS, we’re not involved in that side of things,” the source said.
Philip has been treated for heart problems in the past and in 2011 was rushed to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham after suffering chest pains as the royal family were preparing for Christmas.
He was treated for a blocked artery at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire and underwent a minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting.
St Bartholomew’s is home to Barts Heart Centre, Europe’s largest specialised cardiovascular service. Philip was initially admitted to the private King Edward VII’S Hospital on February 16 after feeling unwell, before being moved by ambulance to St Bartholomew’s on Monday.
He has now spent more than two weeks in hospital — his longest ever stay. Buckingham Palace said yesterday: “The Duke of Edinburgh yesterday underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
“His Royal Highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a numberofdays.”
Philip was visited in King Edward VII’S Hospital on February 20 by the Prince of Wales, who made a 200-mile round trip and stayed for around 30 minutes.
The duke has spent most of lockdown at Windsor Castle with the Queen for their safety, alongside a reduced household of staff